Quickie: SCHIP

From MomsRising:

It's been a historic week, and not just because of the inauguration of our 44th president. After over a year of your unceasing demands for fair pay, Congress passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and it's headed for the President's signature.

And now for our second act, Congress is poised to substantially expand children's health coverage under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). This is a huge step forward, particularly since 1 in every 8 children doesn't have healthcare coverage right now.

There is no stopping us now! Tell your Senators to vote in favor of expanding children's healthcare coverage.

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Decisive action is needed right away because the number of uninsured children is increasing as families lose employer-sponsored coverage due to record job losses. SCHIP is an effective, established program. Since 1997, the number of uninsured children has fallen by almost a third. SCHIP now covers more than 4 million children, though approximately 9 million children in America still live without the promise of healthcare and job loss is hitting more families every day. By fully funding and reauthorizing SCHIP, we can take a huge step toward healthcare coverage for all kids.

Urge your Senators to expand children's health coverage and oppose any amendments that would create barriers to children's coverage by clicking here.

Unemployment Insurance Modernization Act

Congress is making decisions about what to include in the economic recovery package. The Unemployment Insurance Moderinization Act should be part of it. Indeed, an extension of the Act is currently being proposed by Congressional Democrats and President-Elect Obama.

From MomsRising:

The Lowdown: Including the UIMA in the economic recovery package is essential because right now only 37 percent of unemployed workers receive unemployment benefits. That leaves 63% of people out! This is because Unemployment Insurance was created in 1935, but the workforce has changed dramatically since then: There are far more low-wage, part-time, and women workers in the labor market whose incomes are essential to the family budget.

To be an effective safety net, Unemployment Insurance needs to be updated to meet 21st century economic demands on families. Without these updates, the economic recovery package will fall short of supporting working families who will be the engine of our long-term economic success. Current Unemployment Insurance programs that do not cover part-time workers and low-wage workers discriminate against mothers and threaten the economic security of families.

Click here to ask your Congressional Representatives to include the Unemployment Insurance Modernization Act in the American Recovery and Reinvestment plan proposed by Congress and President-Elect Obama.

With employment losses mounting, unemployment insurance is a must-have for thousands of our fellow Americans. Please take action now.